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Zanzibar day trips and outings

At Paradise Beach Hotel Resort, we offer tours of the islands best attractions with qualified guides. Our Guides are locals, and know every person and every place on the island. We guarantee that you have the lowest price, for the best service. The guides speak different languages. Drinks, fresh fruit, and for full day excursions the lunch is included. You will not forget this experience. Here are just some examples:

Stone Town tour

Follow the trail of the Sultans, slaves and explorers in the winding streets of Stone Town. Your guide will captivate you, retelling the events that shaped Zanzibar, leading you through the buildings where it all happened, like the former Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral, the House of Wonders and the Sultans’ Palace Museum, the Freddie Mercury House, the Old Arab Fort and Dispensary and many more.

While tracing the steps of the past, the walking tour provides you with a window into modern life in Stone Town. Explore the spice markets, seafood and fish piled in the fish market, fresh loaves of bread in wicker baskets and the neat stacks of fruit and vegetables as traders sell their wares from their stalls. Children play while men enjoy board games.

An optional stop at the Zanzibar Coffee House provides a rest from the heat and hustle and bustle. A selection of cold drinks, coﬀee, tea and local sweets & seasonal fruits act as the perfect ‘pick me up’. You can also try the street BBQ with an incredible selection of meat and seafood kebabs in the evening.

Spice tour

In days past, Zanzibar was known as a spice island, exporting cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and cardamom across the world. The spices were originally brought over from Asia and South America and flourished in the tropical climate. Nowadays, the plantations are a tribute to the island’s past and although not a main industry anymore, they are a fascinating tourist attraction and a wonder for the senses.

Walk through the spice farm with your guide. Touch, smell and taste diﬀerent spices and tropical fruits. Try to guess which is which, from the crushed leaves, the fruit, shoots and vines and creepers crawling up to the trees. Learn about their properties, their origins and their uses as medicines and in food and drinks.

A visit to a spice farm village gives you an insight into local life and gives you the opportunity to try some authentic Swahili dishes, taste the fruits in season and try some spiced tea. Depending on the season, you can find anything from vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, lemongrass, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger, coriander, pepper, allspice, tamarind, jackfruit, custard fruit, orange, star fruit, banana, pineapple, tangerine, passion fruit, mango, avocado pear, papaya, grapefruit and many others.

Prison Island tour

Prison Island, looking on the coast, gets its name from the prison built to condemn Zanzibari citizens to the isolation of the island. Previously owned by an Arab to house his rebellious slaves, the prison was never actually used, and the island is now home to a tortoise sanctuary and a hotel. Prison Island is 20 minutes away from Stone Town by boat, and has spectacular coral reefs for you to enjoy. Giant tortoises shuﬄe through the trees, with the infinite patience that old age brings. Originally thought to be from the Comoros Islands and Seychelles, some of these tortoises are thought to be over 100 years old. Stately and lumbering, the tortoises have even been known to take children on a ride.

After the trip to the tortoise sanctuary, you´re left to explore the island. If you´re feeling active, you can follow one of the hiking trails, snorkel in the crystal clear waters in search of colorful tropical fish darting through the reef or soak up some sun on the powder white beach.

Dolphin Adventure

Kizimkazi, on Zanzibar´s south coast, is home to large numbers of bottle-nosed and spinner dolphins. Board a traditional ocean going dhow and spend a pleasant two hours scouting for dolphins.

Sleek and grey, the dolphins jack-knife through the water, sometimes showing oﬀ with jumps and twists. In the past, some tourists were lucky enough to swim and snorkel with these magical animals. However, the dolphins are wild, and can be shy and elusive. Although visitors see dolphins on the majority of outings, there are no guarantees. Whether you´re fortunate enough to see dolphins or not, this trip is a great day out. It’s an early morning boat trip.

Jozani Forest

In the south of the island, Jozani Forest is a wonder and a delight, with tales of Zanzibar leopards, medicinal cures and stunning scenery. Currently under consideration to become Zanzibar´s second World Heritage Site, the Jozani-Chwaka bay area is a hotspot of biodiversity. The forest is home to a number of endemic species, including the Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey.

Your park ranger will take you on a nature trail, lined with eucalyptus and mahogany trees and explain the medicinal properties of various plants, and tell you about the animals, birds and reptiles that make their home in the various habitats of this tropical rainforest. Troops of Zanzibar Red Colobus monkeys can be found scrambling from branch to branch, in search of food. The monkeys have become accustomed to people and allow you to get close to them to take photographs as they eat, play and jump from the treetops. The mangrove boardwalk takes you above the swamp where, depending on the tide, you can see crabs scuttling across the mud. Mangroves play an important role in environmental conservation and as a resource for villagers and community life. Your ranger will explain the diﬀerent species found in the swamp and their uses.

Mnemba Snorkeling

Bill Gates and Naomi Campbell would adore this excursion around the famous Mnemba Island, where they have already spent some of their holidays. We are not able to enter the island because it’s a private property, but we can still be enjoying its spectacular turquoise waters.

Discover the underwater world of this marine sanctuary and its magnificent coral reef. You can see stingrays, barracudas, powder blue surgeon fish, clown tiger fish, long horned cowfish and many more. It’s as if you were snorkeling in an aquarium. The waters are very shallow and we will take you to diﬀerent areas around the island.

Depending on the tide, we can get close to Mnemba, and a short boat trip will bring us to this fascinating place. It’s in the top 10 ranking of the best snorkeling places in the world!

Nungwi Experience

The north coast is the dhow- building capital of Zanzibar. Your driver to Nungwi will take you past the fish markets, where you can see the freshly caught seafood being auctioned. There´s a stop at the ruins of an old Portuguese settlement, where your guide will explain the history of the ruins and the Portuguese conquest of Zanzibar, dating back to 1497.

A stop at the blacksmith is fascinating. Tools are still made in the traditional way for constructing dhows. At the construction site, dhows are built in the same way they have been for centuries by skilled craftsmen bending wood to create them. Visitors may be invited to try their hand at this unique craft. A visit to the Nungwi turtle sanctuary and aquarium follows, where ailing turtles are nursed back to health and released into the ocean. A guided tour of Nungwi village, where mamas wrapped in kangas cook over firewood and smiling children play. Walk down to the beach where you can enjoy some free time sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling. The northern trip of Zanzibar oﬀers some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. The sky turns pink and gold as the sun sinks over the Indian Ocean. Sundowners and a late transfer back to the resort can be arranged if you wish to stay to enjoy the sunset.

Safari Blue

An unforgettable day aboard a traditional Arab dhow. Sailing across cobalt blue waters and stopping on a sand bank to have a rest, you are serve tropical fruits and you can go snorkeling around the sandbank. After an hour or so, we sail to the Island of Kwale.

This is a beautiful romantic small island. Here, we serve a seafood lobster lunch and later, we walk to a big BaoBao tree, hundreds of years old, and you need at least 10 people hand in hand to go around. After this spectacular visit we sail by dhow to the blue lagoon. You will see why they call it “blue lagoon”. The return is by sailboat, weather permitting.

Discover Zanzibar by Jeep

It is time to explore the north part of Zanzibar in our own 4x4 Jeep. Discover the local life and see how people live and work on this beautiful island. Start your excursion in the village and see the sugarcane plantation. Taste the sweet juice and get more energy, because it is a natural energy drink. Continue your trip to the ground and fish market. The half day trip will end with the seaweed plantation in Matemwe. The local ladies make soap and other products with this natural product and it is very interesting to see how they process the seaweed.

The full day trip goes further up north to Nungwi, a village with the turtle aquarium. Learn more about those animals and see how they are treated before they go back in the ocean. After all places seen today and the knowledge you gained, it is time to relax and enjoy the beautiful beach in Kendwa. Drink a nice cocktail or spoil yourself with nice souvenirs.

Kayak or Sup excursion in the mangrove

Mangroves are small trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish waters. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves occur in the subtropics like Zanzibar. Mangroves are salt- tolerant trees and are adapted to life in harsh coastal conditions. They contain a complex salt filtration system and complex root system to cope with salt water immersion and wave action. They are adapted to the low oxygen conditions of waterlogged mud.

Discover this nature and all the special animals and birds by yourself while you are entering the mangrove by kayak or sup. It is not possible to enter this mangrove by car, big boat or on foot, which makes this excursion very special and cool. Our tour guide will explain everything you want to know and you will enjoy the silence and serene tranquility. The whole trip will take four hours and you will have a special lunch in the mangrove.

Paradise Beach by Galawa

The beautiful area around our resort is called “Paradise Beach” and gives our resort its name. Leaving from the resort by small local galawa, you go slowly to the other side of the bay. Here you will find a beautiful beach with mangroves and tropical vegetation. Take a nice romantic walk there, see the locals and see Paradise Beach Resort from the other side.

Paradise Beach & The Rock Restaurant

The beautiful area around our resort is called “Paradise Beach” and gives our resort its name. Leaving from the resort by small local galawa, you go slowly to the other side of the bay. Here you will find a beautiful beach with mangroves and tropical vegetation. Take a nice romantic walk there, see the locals and see Paradise Beach Resort from the other side.

After you discovered Paradise Beach, the taxi is ready to bring you to The Rock Restaurant, one of Zanzibar’s most famous restaurants, because of its unique location. A small cozy restaurant is built on a big rock in the ocean. At low tide you can walk from the beach to the restaurant and at high tide you will be picked up or dropped off by boat. The view is amazing and the food is delicious. Make the famous picture of the restaurant and spoil yourself with the good food and drinks they serve.

Afterwards you will go back to Paradise Beach Resort by galawa to make this trip unforgettable.

Mangapwani Caves

Mangapwani caves are natural caves and are located 20km north of Stone Town, within an easy walk off Mangapwani beach. The first large, dank cave incorporates a freshwater pool while the slave cave, further north, is said to have been used as an illegal holding pen for slaves after the trade was abolished in the late 19th century.

Visit those caves with our guide and discover the history of this place.

Nakupenda Sandbank

This full day excursion to Nakupenda Sandbank is an excursion you will definitely love. Nakupenda means “I love you” in Swahili, the local language of Tanzania. The moment you see and have your first footstep on this sandbank you will love this little island in the middle of the ocean. Discover the beautiful underwater world around this sandbank with snorkeling and greet all the little colorful fishes and other sea life. The coral is amazing and you will enjoy your time under water.

For lunch you will be spoilt with a delicious seafood BBQ. Taste the fresh seafood and realize you have a lunch on a very unique place on earth. Time to relax a bit after lunch before you go to Prison Island. Discover the history of this island and visit the big land turtles. Some of those amazing animals are 100 years or older and it is great to see, feed and touch them. End this excursion relaxing on the beach before you go back to the resort.

Stone Town by night

Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar and biggest city on the Island, is wonderful with all its little streets, restaurants and historical buildings. In day time Stone Town is a great place to walk around to explore all the cultures and history and at night time Stone Town is a great city to discover as well. Enjoy the amazing sunset and see how active the local life is at the end of the day.

Visit the night food market at Forodani and spoil yourself with delicious local food. Choose what you like and enjoy all the different kinds of food. This market is always busy and the atmosphere is great.

Game Fishing

For an early morning game fishing outing in the waters of Zanzibar. We go out on a local boat from the southern part of the island - simple, but well worth it. The local captain knows the area well and has professional anglers. Black and blue marlin, acrobatic sailfish, dorado, yellow fin tuna, wahoo, barracuda and kingfish, all provide endless hours of active game fishing out on the Indian Ocean. Join us for a day out of big game fishing in the waters of Zanzibar and the Pemba channel. Our deep sea fishing charter boats are fully rigged and ready to take you out for a fishing experience you will never forget.

We fish by trailing a combination of lures, naturally dead or living baits. August to October is the peak season for tuna, and November to March for marlin and sailfish, following the pattern of the monsoons. Fishing in Zanzibar’s deep turquoise blue waters contrasting against perfect powder blue skies and waves lapping against the prow of the boat is a pure delight. Whatever the time of the year, you´re sure to have a great day out.

Discover Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam is the capital and largest city of Tanzania. Its name means literally "the abode of peace". It is Tanzania's most prominent city in arts, fashion, media, music, film and television. Dar es Salaam is the largest and most populous Swahili speaking city in the world.

Leave early in the morning and go by ferry to Dar es Salaam. Our taxi driver is waiting for you and he will take you to the most important and interesting places in the city. You will visit the National Museum, Big Market and Kariako. Discover this capital and admire all the things you see today. It will be a totally different world compared to Zanzibar, but you will definitely like this excursion. At the end of the day, you will fly back to Zanzibar. Enjoy the amazing view from above and see how colorful the ocean and coral are.